Major progress for Croatian winners but top names remain the same

20 Sep 2016

Ioannis Sgouropoulos and Chinese Taipei’s Li Hsin-Yang, finalists at the recent 2016 Croatia Junior and Cadet Open are the players to make the most progress on the ITTF World Junior Circuit Boys’ Standings following the close of play in Varazdin on Sunday 18th September.

Likewise, on the ITTF World Junior Circuit Girls’ Standings, there is progress for the Junior Girls’ Singles winner in Varazdin.

Chinese Taipei’s Su Pei-Ling moves from no.12 to no.4 (3,348 points) and thus greatly enhances her chances of an invitation to the 2016 ITTF World Junior Circuit Finals to be staged in Indore, India in January 2017.

Qualification for Finals

The top 16 players on each of the Boys’ Standings and Girls’ Standings, following the conclusion of play in the 2016 Hungarian Junior Cadet Open on Sunday 6th November, will receive invitations to the Finals.

However, there are the provisos that each continent – Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America, Oceania – is eligible to be represented by one boy and one girl, as it the situation for the host association. Furthermore, no national association may be represented by more than two boys or two girls.

Additionally, a player must have competed in a minimum of two continents.

Chances high

Thus for Su Pei-Ling, who in addition to Croatia, has competed in Hong Kong, China, Chinese Taipei and India; the chances of qualification are high.

It is the same for the Japan’s Kana Takeuchi, the player Su Pei-Ling beat in the final in Varazdin; she has competed in two continents and remains in second spot (4,433 points), one place behind colleague Yuko Kato (4,616 points) who experienced a rather unexpected defeat in Croatia. She was beaten in the second round by the Slovak Republic’s Tatiana Kukulkova.

Drop one place

Likewise, Hong Kong’s Mak Tze Wing remains in third place (3,374 points); however, for Japan’s Miyu Nagasaki and India’s Selena Selvakumar, it is drop of one place in order to make way for Su Pei-Ling.

However, Qian Tianyi, Adriana Diaz and Minnie Soo Wai Yam have not as yet met the basic qualification criteria; they have only played in one continent.

Significant progress

Meanwhile, amongst the leading names in the Boys’ Singles Standings, Japan’s Aoto Asazu is the player to make the most significant progress following proceedings in Croatia. He moves from no.9 to no.6 (2,701 points).

One place lower

Also Yu Kayama from Japan, a quarter-finalist in Varazdin, retains 10th position (2,107 points); however, for those immediately above who did not compete in the Croatian city it is a fall of one place.

India’s Manav Vikash Thakker falls one place to no.7 (2,450 points); it is the same for Germany’s Tobias Hippler and Chinese Taipei’s Lai Chi-Chien.